It's very difficult to describe how you cope, in purely empirical terms, although I grok what you're trying to say.
To me it was more about being free than anything else - I'm definitely a free spirit, and if there's one thing I cannot stand it's restriction of any sort, and especially the broad, damaging restrictions imposed by the Watchtower upon every conceivable part of daily life.
is this worth your freedom HOW DID YOU COPE WHEN YOU MADE THAT DECISION TO LEAVE
Many have commited suicide over not being able to cope with the results of leaving, others have not moved beyond exiting and are still miserable.
Other......are as happy as can be and love the freedom, and can deal with the losses.
So then....would a person who simply CANNOT adjust and become happy.....................be better off being a witness and at least being relatively happy? I don't have the balls to answer that one.
The elder decided for me that I needed an excuse to leave the truth, well, his conduc/behavior towards me was the reason I haven't returned. The lights bulbs went on then and there and it has stayed on! No regrets.